


Hidden Depths

by sabriel75



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Accidental Relationship, Accidental boyfriends, Angst and Humor, Developing Relationship, Embarrassment, M/M, Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-23
Updated: 2011-04-23
Packaged: 2017-10-18 12:59:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/189133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabriel75/pseuds/sabriel75
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Where Colin and Bradley are boyfriends; Colin just doesn't know it yet.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Hidden Depths

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> prompt: I WANT FIRST TIMES FLUFF!!!! Don't care if it's holding hands, kissing, or the bedroom shenanigans - I want something that's gonna gimme a cavity

Bradley likes to think he has layers.

He knows the world isn’t black and white and that there are more grays than anything. He normally is upbeat about everything, only once in awhile his innate humor might be blindsided with bouts of insecurity. And that’s okay, because not everyone can see the glass as half full or how boring would that be?!

Just like everyone has their dreams and plans for the future, Bradley has his. He chases them nervously as they grow more ambitious with each success and they make him feel singularly special in ways no person has ever done, even if the fan enthusiasm has begun to weird him out. He balances the fragility of fame good-naturedly but he can adapt if this gig doesn’t pan out or that’s what he keeps telling himself.

When opportunity arose without him really planning for it, he had grabbed it and _Merlin_ has turned into a pretty sweet deal. Bradley can do spur-of-the-moment, unexpected works for him.

Overall, life is good for Bradley James and makes sense.

That is _until_ Colin Morgan.

 _Now_ nothing fits.

The man throws a wrench in every one of his preconceptions about life, and despite Colin’s ceaseless teasing, Bradley really _does_ know the world doesn’t revolve around him.

It’s not Bradley’s fault that there is no good way of telling Colin Morgan how he has upended everything Bradley has always known about himself? How his every thought evaporates into epiphanies of madness.

The lust-crazed kind that involves pinning Colin to his bed, licking into the shell of his ears or marking that pale, lean neck of his.

Jealous pings ratchet up and push him over the edge bit-by-bit whenever he has to share Colin with the rest of the world. None of his fond stares or frequent Colin touching keeps his wank fantasies from colluding with reality again and again and making the set a special universe where Hell and Heaven collide. No deep breathing exercise is able to stop the racing of his heart or the hardening of his well… not his stomach muscles… when once again the script demands he come in _very close_ , almost always _full body contact_ with Colin.

Is there not one damn hurt scene capable of having him _not_ passed out in Colin’s lap or worse having Colin crawl over him, manhandling him against his chest?!

If someone had told him, that **_BC_** ( _Before Colin_ … which is how he refers to his life before Morgan) that he would work this hard, for a guy no less; he would have laughed. He never really puts effort into hooking up and he knows he fails badly at chatting dates up, but Bradley blames Colin’s complicated self for making it so difficult for them.

Because while Bradley has layers, Colin Morgan has hidden depths that Bradley can’t always follow. Okay, sure, Bradley rarely knows what Colin is on about despite how good he is getting _at getting_ Colin’s dark sense of humor, and he knows when to laugh and that is all that matters, yeah?

Honestly, if Bradley were not such an optimistic guy, he’d say the entire world is conspiring against him.

Especially today of all days, when his rampaging hard-on had spent the better part of the morning pressed against Colin’s thigh, while the man wept as if Bradley were really dying.

Bradley could have wept from the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, but no… he had to play-act being unconscious _again_. When they had finally managed the final take, Bradley hadn’t been able to stay put. He had fled and spent the majority of the day ducking in and out of corridors avoiding Colin.

Which is why, tonight, instead of being out with the rest of the cast getting drunk, Bradley’s hiding out in his room. Not that getting wasted and forgetting the day isn’t something he’d like to be doing, but well, that would defeat the whole purpose of his _now_ _avoid Colin like the plague_ strategy.

Except that his strategy sort of fell apart the moment he had opened the door with his back turned, and no good tactical operation leaves room for assumptions. He should’ve known it wasn’t room service so soon.

Colin shrugs at him, standing in his bedroom doorway as if talking will make him disappear. Most likely it will send him running back to his room, but Bradley isn’t one to judge, since he’s holed up in his room and Colin’s come to him.

“Come in then, if you want,” Bradley says, turning to head back to the bed and the remote and deliberately avoiding looking at Colin.

“You sure?” Colin asks, finally venturing in and propping himself against the closed door as if he fears coming in further, as if backing himself against it would keep him from bolting.

Bradley stands still, immobilized by hope, and fear, that if he jumps Colin, which is what he really wants to do, it will cause him to run.

Colin grabs at Bradley’s wrist when he speaks again, “Just c’mere, okay.”

The change in Colin is evident. His want is so nakedly obvious in his flushed face, in the hard tug that has Bradley stumbling forwards and righting himself with hands on Colin’s shoulders. And yet, Bradley still cannot let himself make a move. Colin’s thumb rubs soothing circles into his wrist and he likes the sensation too much.

It isn’t as if he could do much thinking when Colin crowds him like this anyway, but he budges up when Colin pulls him closer… feels Colin’s arms encircling him, fingers latching about his neck and thumbs tracing his neckline. He laughs softly when their foreheads bump and still against each other.

The blurry outline of Colin’s face comes closer and he nudges against Bradley’s nose with his own, brushing against him playfully and then Eskimo-kissing Bradley’s eyes, his cheeks and back again to rub nose-to-nose.

Just these chaste kisses make Bradley go weak in the knees and the cliché only gets worse when Bradley clutches Colin a little roughly. He lightens his hold quickly enough when he sees Colin’s face scrunch in pain, but not before his heart rate spikes and his breathing turns into pants at the imagery he conjures up from this contact.

“You’re like a puppy. Earnest , yeah… in my face. All over me, there in my space when I want to just relax,” Colin accuses, his voice soft and full of affection despite the fear and recrimination creeping in too.

Bradley isn’t quite certain if he should feel guilt, but he cannot bring himself to analyze it like he would normally. He has Colin, here in his arms and he doesn’t plan to let go.

He inhales all of Colin a bit though and lets his hands slip lower, anchors them together with both palms possessive on Colin’s skinny hips. He gives Colin an overly puppyfied look that makes them giggle.

“More like a dog with a bone,” Bradley whispers, because he can feel how skittish Colin is and humor is their thing. It’s what allows them to really be comfortable together.

Both of them are shaking now, whether from the newness or sheer shock of actually being here with each other this way, Bradley doesn’t know, but it causes his stomach to clench and he moves closer, laughing when Colin’s eyes go wide.

“You’re not goin’ to bite me, are you?” Colin asks with a giggly huff.

“You scared?” Bradley asks, teasing, but Colin sobers up quick. The color drains from his face and he shifts a little, trying to back away. Bradley doesn’t let him. “Shhh… c’mon Cols, don’t run away from me. I’m harmless, yeah?”

“Mmm… don’t like dogs,” Colin mutters, itching to run.

It’s not a good sign that Bradley can feel every twitch Colin makes; that they reverberate through his torso down to his knees. He’s shuffling backwards, flattening himself against the door and Bradley wants and wants and wants Colin…, even if he decides to run, to at least feel one time _how right_ they would be together.

His fingers rub longingly at Colin’s waist even as he steps back, putting space between them but refusing to let go. He wants to touch. He hides the hurt when Colin sags in relief against the door.

“It’s not what you think,” Colin says sheepishly,

“Yeah it is. You’re freaking out.”

“No. Yes. Yeah, possibly. It’s just. We’re like we always are, laughing and giggling together but what happens afterwards?” He runs shaky hands through his hair, tufts sticking up wherever his fingers had snagged. “I’m not interested in a one-off with you.”

“Y’know, I like that you’re more a person of substance, but for once, could you think less?” Bradley’s begging and cannot be arsed to care. He’s done thinking… it hasn’t gotten them anywhere.

“Colin.” His tone is fierce, and Colin’s eyes snap to his. “Most nights I crash in your room.”

Bradley steps closer, all the while keeping his eyes trained on Colin. “We spend nearly every waking moment together.”

He pulls himself flush against Colin, coming nose-to-nose with him again. His voice goes husky from the full body contact. “Wouldn’t you like to, you know, go all the way with your boyfriend?”

“You’re not my boyfriend,” Colin says, belligerent. But he wraps his arms around Bradley’s neck and both dimples are on display when he gives Bradley a cheeky grin, “Are you?”

The sharp bark of laughter that bursts out of him surprises them both and is too infectious for them to stop themselves from laughing again together. “Christ Cols! No more thinking or talking.”

And Bradley licks Colin’s plush lips, pushing his tongue inside Colin’s O-shaped mouth and sucking on his tongue hard just to be safe, and because he can do this. He can peel Colin’s layers away until there’s just him… and Bradley… together.

 _A perfect fit._


End file.
